Chapter 27

The "great black bear" was aptly named; it was indeed huge. It seemed to be about as big as the large grizzly bears I had seen on TV in my previous world.

"Could this be the one that attacked Sermia...?"

If it were this bear, I would feel like I was going to the other world with just one hit, regardless of my leather armor. But since it noticed me approaching and ran away, I think it’s probably a different individual. It’s not impossible that it grew so big in just a few weeks, though.

"I’m sorry, but I don’t have any grudge against you."

I hope there aren’t any hungry cubs in this bear’s den. I slowly point the tip of my spear at the bear. Various abilities are warning me of danger, but strangely, I don’t have the feeling that I’ll be knocked out in one hit. The situation doesn’t feel like I can win for sure, but the sense of having a cheat is a blessing right now.

The bear stands up with a slow, heavy movement. It’s even bigger. It seems to be nearly twice my height. Still, I lower my stance and don’t stop pointing the spear. The bear gets back on all fours and charges at me. At this point, there’s no way I can escape. It’s going to be either me or it, and one of us will have to die for it to end.

I narrowly dodge the bear’s lunge. Even a slight graze would be bad. I wanted to strike with the spear as we passed, but it was impossible. It’s faster than I thought. If I didn’t have the cheat, I would have been taken out easily. I consider using the spear to trip it, but it probably wouldn’t be very effective.

The bear quickly changes its stance and faces me again. But I was already in position. I thrust the spear quickly, and it easily pierces the bear’s side. It was so sharp that I barely felt it go in. However, the cheat sense tells me it’s “shallow.” It’s because the ground was muddy and I couldn’t get a good foothold.

I quickly pull out the spear and jump back, but the bear’s front paw catches up to me just in time, and the impact hits my chest. Thanks to jumping back, the impact was minimized, but I still felt like all the air was being forced out of my lungs. I grit my teeth, roll backward, and regain my stance. It’s a good thing I’m 30 years younger; at 40, I wouldn’t have been able to do this. This time, I jump forward, narrowly dodging the bear’s front paw as it swipes over my head, and dive into its chest. It looks like I’m covering the bear.

“I win.”

In that position, I thrust the spear forcefully into the bear’s body. It slides in smoothly. Sermia once said it felt too sharp and uncomfortable, and indeed, this sensation is unfamiliar. As the spear goes in deep, the bear tries to shake me off, and I’m thrown by the impact, rolling away and losing my grip on the spear.

But I felt a solid hit. The bear struggles to remove the spear from its chest but eventually collapses. It fell sideways, so the spear is undamaged. Still, the fact that it’s undamaged despite such rough handling suggests that the custom-made model might have enhanced durability. It’s worth testing next time.

The bear thrashed for a while but eventually became still. I pull out my knife for self-defense, thinking that even a knife is better than nothing, and slowly, cautiously approach the bear. There’s no sign of breathing. After a moment’s hesitation, I prod it with my foot to check for any reaction. There’s still no movement. Keeping my guard up, I pull out the spear, which is still embedded. Blood gushes out, soaking the fur and the ground, and the crimson spreads and mixes with the rain, seeping into the earth. There’s still no reaction.

I’m certain I’ve killed it, and my legs give out. Of course, I’ve never had such a close brush with death in my previous world. This time, I relied entirely on the cheat and the installed abilities to win the fight. It was a close call, to say the least.

I let out a big sigh, and it feels like a weight has been lifted. As the tension eases, pain spreads throughout my body. Of course, I wasn’t unscathed when I was thrown. I have countless scrapes and bruises. Fortunately, it doesn’t seem like any bones are broken. If they were, I wouldn’t be able to do construction or blacksmithing for a while. I probably need at least a day of rest.

I look at the bear’s dead body and bow my head. I’m sorry. No one has been hurt yet, but it would be too late if they were. I’ll live my life to the fullest, including your life. This is how the bear’s life ends, and mine continues. But what should I do with this bear? If I leave it, scavengers will eat it, which isn’t bad. But since I killed it, I’d like to eat it and honor it. My strength is greatly enhanced, so I’ll try to carry it...

“Here we go.”

I shoulder the bear’s arm along with the spear. It’s incredibly heavy. I remember that even a small male grizzly bear weighs around 250 kilograms. It’s heavy, but I drag it along. The rain is helping to drain the blood. With my various injuries and the unstable footing due to the rain, progress is slow. I want to hurry to avoid being attacked by other bears or wolves, but I can’t afford to miss their presence. I take each step carefully.

It takes me twice as long as it did to get here, but I manage to return halfway home. Fortunately, the rain is rapidly weakening and should stop soon. That should help me get back a bit faster. I’m quite tired, so I was about to take a break and lower the bear’s arm and the spear from my shoulder when something jumps out from the nearby bushes.

“Ah!”

I don’t have time to draw my knife, and I’m knocked to the ground. The “something” stands up, faces the bear, draws its knife, and crouches into a low stance.

It’s Sermia. She looks completely angry, which makes her seem even cuter than when she was holding my neck. I get up and call out to her.

“Sermia! I’m fine! I’ve taken care of it!”

Sermia flinches and turns to me.

“Really? Are you really, really okay?”

“Yeah, I have some scrapes and bruises, but no major injuries.”

Hearing this, Sermia jumps on me again. I’m a bit taken aback, but unlike before, I manage to catch her.

“It’s good... It’s good... I, I...”

I keep stroking Sermia’s head as she cries.